Means for packaging cans and the like



Nov. 14, 1933. 5 MOTT 1,935,249

MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. 5/1/1054 3. M077? ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 14', 1933. s B, -r 1,935,249

MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTOR NEYJ NOV. 14, 1933- 5 MOTT 1,935,249

MEANS FOR PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1951 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. s/mua 3. Mo 77' g H n; 2 BY g ATTORNE Y5.

Nov. 14, 1933. s. B, MOTT MEANS FOR PACKAGING GANs AND THE LIKE Filed July 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 "'PI ET- illllllWlllF PM! 0 I 4 3 10 w INVENTOR.

BY KM MW yhw A TTORNEYJ Patented Nov. 14, 1933 MEANS FOR; PACKAGING CANS AND THE LIKE Samuel'B. Mott, Noblesville, Ind., assignor to Indiana Condensed Milk Company, Indianapolis, Ind., aicorporation Application July 28, 1931. Serial Nb. 553,584-

from sterilizing apparatus.

' 10 Claims.

' This invention is a machine for. packing cans and other articles of merchandise in baskets and.

like packages, particularly such as are adapted to be conveyed to, introducedinand moved The invention-has been used in handling and packing cans filled with evaporated milk, condensed milk and the like, wherein the cans after being filled and sealed are conveyed to this particular machine upright and in single file, and this machine packs themin superimposedlayers in metal baskets and the like, and tilts the baskets onto a conveyor that goes to the sterilizing apparatus so that the cans will be lying on their sides when introduced into the sterilizing apparatus.

The'function's of this machine are to develop a limited single row of cans from-a :single file can conveyor, then shift each row of cans laterally upon the feeding table until it is practically filled with similar successive groups or a: plurality of rows of said cans successively from those on the tableto a basket or other package or container in superimposed layers and still in upright positions; finally tilting the basket full of cans sub- 'stantially ninety degrees upon a conveyor with the cans lying on their sides suitable for conveying to and introducinginto, the sterilizing apparatus. i I

One feature of the invention consists in means for forming the cans into the initial row, from a single file conveyor, said means consisting of a slow conveyor in line with the single line conveyor, and, a removable gate on one side of the row of cans and a pushbaron the opposite side of the row of cans, and means for operating them, whereby said row of cans is pushed laterally onto a feed table after the gate is removed and a stop I interposed to the incoming cans fromthe single following description and claims:

file conveyor.

Another feature of the invention consists in the feed table having at one end means for feeding a row of oans'at a time thereon until the table is fuILIand a basket or like package or container at the opposite end of the table into which a group of rows of cans is simultaneously shifted from the table into the basket or package to form asingle layer therein, the cans being still mounted on a carriagethat is movable over the table longitudinally to the desired position, and means for raising and lowering the rake when in such position, whereby the rake can be inserted behind thedesired'row of cans for shifting the cans in front of it into the basket or package in one movement. v i

Another feature of the invention consists in mounting the feed table on-a pivot at its receiving end so that its free or discharging end adjacent the basket or package can be moved vertically andadjusted so that it will discharge a layer of cans upon any previous layer of cans in the basket or package. This means includes means operated by a hand lever for vertically adjusting the free end of the table and a notched quadrant with the notches arranged so as to hold the lever in proper position to bring the free end of the table at the desired level for introducing a layer of cans above another layer of cans.

Along with the foregoing feature of the invention is the further feature of means associated with said table for the rapid .movement of a temporaryhorizontal p'artition plate into the basket or package upon a previous layer of cans therein to receive the next layer of cans thereon, said means being adapted also for quick withdrawal of said partition plate after the layer of cans above it has been discharged into the basket or package. Along with the foregoing is theprovision of a guard plate secured to and extending downward from the free end of the table for preventing any of the lower layers of cans in the basket .or package from falling. out while the upper layers of cans are being supplied thereto.

Another feature of the invention consists in a rocking frame for supporting the ,basketor package in filling position adjacent the feed table which can be tilted ninety degrees to discharge the basket on a conveyorfor taking the same away to a sterilizing apparatus. With the rocking frame is the provision of an air cylinder for effecting said tilting movement thereof- The full nature of the invention will beunderstoodfrom the accompanying drawings and the In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine with parts in section and in process of. filling a basket. Fig; 2 is a plan View of. the machine shown in 1. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, showing the parts in their positions after the basket hasbeen filled and dumped upon the taking away conveyor, parts being partially broken away. Fig. 5 is a side elevation'of the basket and feed table in position to discharge a fourth layer of cans in the basket, parts being brokenaway and parts in section. Fig. 6 is a cross section of. the upper parts of the machine shown in Fig. 3, with the rake in elevated position'above the cans on the feed. table. Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line 77 of Fig. 2 of parts of the machine in position when cans are moving in from the single file conveyor, parts being broken away. Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7 with the parts in position while a row of cans is being shifted to the feed table.

The function of this machine is to receive cans and the like 10 through a chute 11 from canfilling machinery (which is not here shown), to fill or pack the cans in a rectangular metal basket 12 and to dump the basket ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 4, upon the rollers 13 of a gravity or other conveyor 14 by which the basket of cans is con tipped over about ninety degrees upon a' conveyor.

The baskets l2 herein shown are made of metal in skeleton form, as indicated in the drawings, or otherwise, with one side open. The cans are fed into said basket an entire layer at'a time, and when the basket is tipped onto the conveyor 14, it will be open at the top and remains in that position until'after it passes through the sterilizing apparatus, the cans during such conveying and sterilizing process being on their sides, as shown in Fig. 4'. v

The machine is provided with a frame having uprights 15, 16, 17 and 18 and a pair of horizontal cross members 19. The cross members 19 extend at the righthand in Fig. 1 to support the end of the roller supporting conveyor. bars or members 14. The can receiving or feed table consists of side plates 20 and a bottom plate 21 secured thereto, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The right-hand or discharge end of this table, as seen in Fig. 1, is free to oscillate vertically, and the other or receiving end thereof is hinged by brackets 22 which are pivoted on a shaft 23, as seen in Fig. 3, the ends of which are mounted in bearings 2 1 and 25 that are bolted to the uprights 15 by bolts 26. For this purpose the uprights 15 are extended above the horizontal frame members 19, as shown.

The cans coming down the chute 11, which may shown in Fig. 2 on said conveyor 30, and'said row of cans, after coming to this machine, is between an upwardly removable gate bar 33 on the righthand side and a push bar 34 on the left-hand side, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The gate bar 33 and push bar 34 are operated by the following mechanism. As shown in Figs.

' 1 and 3, there is a motor 35 having a motor shaft 36. On the motor shaft there is a little sprocket 37 driving a sprocket chain 33that runs to a large sprocket 39 on a shaft 40 mounted in the bearings 41 on the uprights 15. On the shaft 10 there is secured a small gear 42 which meshes with a large gear e3 on a shaft 44 in bearings 45 on cross bars 46 mounted on the uprights 15 and 16. Thegear- 43 and shaft 44 operate a cam wheel 47 secured on said shaft, as seen in Figs.

1 and 3. The cam wheel 47 has an eccentrically located stud 48 secured to it which carries two cam rollers 49 and 50.

The cam roller 19, at each revolution of the cam 47, engages a lever 51 that is fulcrumed at one end on a shaft 52. At the other end of said lever it is pivoted'to a connecting rod 53 which is pivoted to the end of an arm 54 that is secured to a rocker shaft 55 which is mounted in bearings 56 on the frame bars 19. The rocker shaft 55 has secured to it at each end a short arm 57, as seenin Fig. 1, and each arm 57 extends under a vertically movable gate-lifting rod 58. The gate lifting rods 58 operate in guide bearings 59 and 60 that are secured to the uprights 15. The downward positionof the arms 57 and the rods 58 is limited by stops 61 on the horizontal frame bars 19, as seen in Fig. 1. The vertically movable rods 58 are shouldered at their upper ends, as seen in Fig. 1, and have secured to them a crossbar 62, and-to bar. 62 a gate bar 63 issecured'for large'si'zed cans. The gate bar 33 for the small sized cans is secured tothe gate bar 63 by spacers 64 bolted thereto, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. When larger cans are used, the gate33 for the small cans and thespacers are removed.

The mechanism which has just been described, elevates the gate bars 33 and 63, and at the same time the push bar 34 is operated by the following means: The push bar 34 is secured to the upper ends of long bent arms 65, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, that are secured at their lower ends to the shaft 52. Said arms 65 are actuated by a short arm 66 which is pivoted on said .shaft 52 and is actuated by the cam roller 50 onthe cam wheel a7, and said arm 66 carries between its ends a rigid upwardly extending bar 67 which is connected by an expansible spring 68 adjustable with one of the arms 65, as shown in Fig. 1', so

that whenthe arms 66 and 6'7 are rocked, the arm 65 will actuate the push bar 34 and shift the left-hand row of cans inward after the gate 33 has been'elevated out of theway. The'bar 67 is held in spaced relation with the arm 65 by a stop arm 69 that abuts against the arm 65, as seen in Fig. 1. The idle position'on return movemerit of the arm 65 is stopped by a cross rod '70 in the frame members 19 and is held in such position by a spring 71'that is connected at one end with the bar 67 and at the other end with abar 72 that is secured with the upright 15, as seen in Fig 1.

By means of the foregoing mechanism, the gate 33 is'elevated to release'the left-hand row of cans and immediately the push bar 34: is operated so as to shift the row of cans on the table 20 -21. Such movement of the cans extends beyond the gate 33-, so that it can be returned by gravity or otherwise to its normal position, as shown in Fi .1. I 7

However, before the row of cans can be pushed on the table by the push bar 34, the incoming 'cans in chute lfmust be stopped and held back out of the way temporarily, and that duty is performed by means operated bythe gate lifting means, see Figs. 7 and'S. On the cross bar 62, that is lifted by the vertically movable rods 53, there is secured an upwardly-extending rod 75 which carries an expansible spring 76 that is connected to one end of a bell crank lever 77 which Then said can stop is moved out of the way of the cans coming down the chute, as in Fig. 7, and another row of cans is movedonto the conveyor 30. The momentum of the cans coming down the chute 11 aids the conveyor in the movement of thecans into a row upon the conveyon The machine operates so rapidly that a row of cans moves into position almost instantly.

As each row of cans or the like is shifted upon the table 2021', the preceding rows of cans'are simultaneously pushed to .the right hand, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, until the table is filled as therein shown. Then the following means is provided for separating an advance group of cans on the'table at the right-hand end thereof from the cans to the left on the table, sufficient to form one layer of cansin the basket 12, and shifting the entire group at one movement into the basket. Each Iayer'of cans in the basket, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, consists offorty-two cans in themachine herein illustrated, that is, six rows with seven cans to the row. Therefore, a hand-operated rake or shifter 81, as seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is inserted behind the sixth row of cans in the machine here shown, and then the entire six rows at one movement of the rake or shifter '81 is pushed or shifted over into the basket 12.

The rake or shifter 81 consists of a top bar with a number of downwardly-extending fingers 82-, each preferably formed of bent wire, so as to be somewhat V-shaped transversely of the machine, as seen in Fig. 3. The said rake is carried by a carriage consisting of a plate 83 extending across the machine, as seen in Fig. 3, under the head 81 of the rake, and thepl'ate'83 is reciprocable laterally between the guide bars 84 and 85 which are secured to each side of the table by the bars 86 and 87 that at their lower ends are fastened to the angle irons 20- of the table, as i seen in Figs. 1 and 3. v

In order to keep the carriage 83 down in place and to coordinate the reciprocatory travel of the two ends of the raking or shifting mechanism, a rod 88 is mounted in the rear part of said carriage 83, as seen in Fig. 2, and the rod 88 has on its two ends pinions 89 that mesh with downwardly extending racks 90. The-rake is elevated to lift the fingers 82 above the tops of the cans by a rod 91 operated by a handle 92 on the end and extending through the bearings 93 and with an arm 94 on the inner end thereof, the outer end of which is pivoted to an arm 95 that is at its lower end to the rake head 81' that slides up and down on a rod 97 that isseeured to the carriage 81 about midway between theends thereof, as seen in Fig. 2. I r

The rake mechanismis shown in its down position in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and by turning the handle 92 to the left ninetydegrees, the arms 94 and 95 will elevate the rake so that the fingers thereof will be above the row of cans, as seen in Fig. 6. The rake is readily movable back and forth to the right and left, as shown in Fig. 2, and by turning the handle 92- back ninety degrees, the fingers of the rake 82 can be inserted behind the sixth row of cans. These fingers enter the spaces between the cans of the twoadjacent rows and then by a swift push to the right, the enthe layer of forty-two cans is instantly shifted into the basket. The rake mechanism is then returned to about a midway position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the rake elevated until the next layer or group of forty-two cans is ready to be shifted.

- Means for enabling a number of layers of cans to be thus filled into the basket 12 superimposed upon each other is as follows: The table 20-.21, as has been explained, is pivoted at its rear end on the shaft 23 so that the right-hand end thereof, as seen in'Fig. 1, can be elevated to any desired level or layer of cans in the basket; This tilting of the table from one layer to another is effected by two connecting rods. 100 which at their upper end are pivoted to brackets 101 secured to the bottom of the table to be tilted. The lower ends of the rods 100' are pivoted to arms 102 that are secured on a shaft 103 which is. mounted in bearings 104 on the cross frame barsv 105 and which oscillate by a shifting lever 106 that extends up in front of the machine, as seen in Fig. 1. The shifting lever extends beside a quadrant or rack bar 107 that is secured to the uprights 17 and 18 and provided in its periphery with notches 108 spaced so as to lock lever 106 when the table end corresponds with the levels of thebottom of the basket 12 and the various layers of cans therein, as desired.

' When the shifting lever 106 has its hand-operated pawl 109 in the left-hand notch 103', as shown in Fig. l, the free end of the table 20*21 is on a level with the bottom of the basket 12. When the lever is lockedin the second notch, the table is on a level with the top of the first layer of cans, as is shown in Fig. 1. The weigh-tot the table on the lever 105 is counter-balanced by an arm 1l0-secured to the shaft 103' and counterinto the carriage from falling or being. moved out of the basket during the filling operation. Va-' rious sizes of cans can be handled by having the quadrant withproperly spaced notches.

After the first layer of cans has been shifted into the basket 12, as seen in Fig. 1, the operator then suddenly moves a temporary partition plate 113, as shown in Fig. 1, upon the top of the layer of cans in the basket 12, and then shifts his second layer of cans into the basket onto said partition plate and instantly retracts the partition plate to the left and out of the basket'until it is desired to shift another layer of cans into the basket. The means for the quick. movement of the temporary partition plate 113 into the basket 3 and out of. it consists of a hand-oporated lever 114,.shown in Fig. 2, that extends above a guard Y The lever 118 is piv- I otedto the bottom of the table at 119 at one end and at the other end is pivoted to a link 126 that 1 is secured to a reinforcing strip 121 at 122. The reinforcing strip 121 is secured at its rear end to the partition plate 113. Other well known means may be used to operate plate 113.

The leverage just explained is such as to give the partition plate a very quick movement into and out of the basket12, and while retracting the partition platellS, the cans above it can. be held in the basket from being withdrawn with the plate 113 by holding the rake stationary behind the upper layer of cans until the plate 113 is withdrawn. By this means, any number of layers of cans can be readily superimposed upon each other in the same basket.

It is better to feed the cans into the basket 12 in vertical position so that they may slide through the mechanism which has heretofore been described and into the basket. But when the basket and cans go to the sterilizing apparatus, it is de sirable to have the cans on their sides and, therefore, this basket filling mechanism is provided with additional means heretofore referred to for upsetting the basket ninety degrees from the position shown in I. to that shown in Fig. i, and upon the rollers 13 of the conveyor i l. This is accomplished by the following means: As shown inFig. l, the basket is turned on its side on one set of arms 125 of a rocking frame pivoted at 126 in the bearings 127 which is secured to the cross bars 19. When in the can-receivingposition, as shown in Fig. l, the other arms 128 of said rocking frame stand vertically behind or to the righthand side of the basket, as seen in Fig. l. Said rocking frame is pivoted on the mechanism adjacent the side of the conveyor 14.- that is to transfer the basket to the sterilizing apparatus. When it is rocked to filling position, as in Fig. l, the ends of arms 125 rest upon a cross frame bar 1453 and between guide upright bars 141 secured to the frame bars 17.

The basket 12 after being filled with cans by the means heretofore explained, is tilted over on the conveyor i l by the following means: An air cylinder 130 is pivoted at its lower end at 131 on the uprights 1'7, as shown in Fig. l, and a piston in it, not shown, secured to the piston rod 132 that is pivoted to the arms 125 of said rocking frame at 133. Compressed air is introduced into said cylinder 130 by a pipe entering the cylinder at its lower end and leadin from a valve 135 that is controlled by a handle 136 and the is removed from said cylinder through a tube 137. The valve mechanism is supplied with air through a line 138 leading from any suitable air pressure in order to tilt the basket after it is filled, and all the operator does is to turn the valve lever 38 and the piston in the cylinder gives the basket a ninety degree tilt onto the conveyor i l, as shown in Fig. l. The rocking frame 1535 128 is returned to the filling position shown in Fig. 1 by reversing the handle 136 of the air valve mechanism.

From the foregoing explanation, it. is obvious that applicant has invented a practical and suc cessful means for filling baskets with cans or like articles from a single chute or line of incoming cans that have been filled elsewhere, and placing them in proper position upon the conveyor to take them to the sterilizing apparatus of the factory of a for which said invention is used. Also said invention enables a remarkable speed of operation in said mechanism as the cans come to and go through and leave this apparatus in practically a constant stream.

It is noted that each basket illustrated will receive 210 cans, and those cans can be assembled from a single line of supply and the basket filled and tilted in much less than a half a minute. This seems remarkable, but the practical use of the machine for some time has den nstrated its speed. Furthermoreit operates wlthout any interference of the cans or any part of the mechanism with the cans. Also the cans can be moved for filling the basket in their upright position through the machine and then turned upon their sides for the sterilizing apparatus.

Also the machine is adapted to handle cans, of different sizes. If the cansare. larger, of course, a correspondingly less number of rows and layers of cans are fed into the basket. Also the machine is operated at incredible speed by one operator. All that is necessary to adapt the machinefor filling thebaskets with larger cans-instead of the small cans, is .to change the straight line chute 11 and to remove the gate 33 and to change the quadrant l0? and change the 'locationand number of fingers in the rake.

The terms basket and basket and the like? are used hereinto mean any containenreceptacle or other package adapted to receive and be filled with-cans or like articles, regardless ofsize or shape.

The invention claimed is:

l. A machine of the kind described, a feed table, means at one end thereof. forfeeding cans and like articles in successive rows to said table for reception by a rectangular basket. orthe like at the other end of said table with the side thereof adjacent the table being open, means for shifting a number of rows of said 'cansfroni the table into the basket, to form a layer, means for varying the relative positions of the basket and the end of thetable adjacent thereto, whereby the basket may be supplied with successive superimposed layers of cans, saidshifting means-being a rake having ahead plate and substantially vshaped fingers extending downward therefrom and adapted to be inserted behind the group of cans to be shifted. p 7 I V 2. A machine of the kind described, a feed table, means at one end thereof for feedingcans and like articles insuccessiverows to; said table for reception by a rectangular basket or the like at the other end of said table with theside there of adjacent the table being open, means for shifting a number of rows of said cans from the table intothe basket to forma layer, means for varying the relative positions of the basket and the end of the table adjacent thereto, whereby the basket may be supplied with successive super,-

imposed layers of cans, said shiftingmeans being forreception by a rectangular basket or the like 1 at the other end of said table with the .sideadjacent the table being open, means for shifting at one movement a number of rows of said cans from the table into the basket to form a layer,

means for varying the relative vertical positions of the basket and the end of the table adjacent thereto, whereby the basket may be supplied with successive superimposed layers of cans, said shifting means being a rake with a back plate, a row of fingers extending downward therefrom adapt ed to be moved into a position'behind a row of cans, a plate for supporting the backplate of the rake, a guideway at each side of the table for the ends of said supporting plate along which it can be moved laterally, and means for moving the rake vertically with reference to said supporting plate. z y

l. In a machine of the kind described, a feed table, means at one end thereof for feeding cans and like articles in successive rows to said table 1- for reception by a rectangular basket or the like at the other end of said table with the side adjacent the table being open, means for shifting in one movement a nuinberof rows of said cans from the table into the basket to form a layer, means for varying the relative positions of the basket and the end of the table adjacent thereto, whereby the basket may be supplied with successive superimposed layers of cans, said shifting means being a rake with a back plate, a row of fingers extending downward therefrom adapted to be moved into a position behind a row of cans,

a plate supporting the back plate of the rake, a guideway at each side of the table through which the ends of said supporting plate can be moved laterally, means for moving the rake vertically with reference to said supporting plate, a rack at each side of the table, and pinions on the ends of said supporting 'plate operating under and in engagement with said racks.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a feed table, means at one end thereof for feeding cans and like articles in successive rowsito said table for reception by a rectangular basket or the like at the other end of said table with the side adjacent the table being open, meansfor shifting in one movement a number of rows of said cans from the table into the basket to form a layer therein, means for varying the relative positions of the basket and the end of the table adjacent thereto, whereby the basket may be supplied with successive superimposed layers of cans, said shifting means being a rake with a back plate, a row of fingers extending downward therefrom adapted to be moved into a position behind a row of cans, a plate supporting the back plate of the rake, a guideway at each side of the table through which the end of said supporting plate can be moved laterally, a post extending upward from the supporting plate, a sleeve slidable on said post and extending upward from said rake back plate, a link and lever means connected with said sleeve and mounted on said back plate respec-- 6. A machine of the kind described, including a feed table pivoted at its receiving end and its opposite end free to move vertically, means for conveying cans and like articles in rows upon the receiving end of said table for reception by a basket or the like located at the other end of the table which is to be, filled, means for shift: ing a certain number of rows of cans from the table to the basket to form one layer, means for vertically adjusting the end of the table adjacent to the basket, a horizontal temporary partition plate for the basket, and means associated with the table for sliding said partition above a former layer of cans in the basket for receiving the next layer of cans and for withdrawing the same after the superimposed layer has been deposited.

7. In a machine of the kind described, including a feed table'pivoted at its receiving end and with its opposite end free to move vertically, means for receiving end of said table for reception by a basket or the, like located at the other end of the table in order to be filled, means for shifting a certain number of rows of cansfrom the table to the basket to form one layer therein, means for vertically adjusting the end of the table adjacent to the basket, a temporary partition for I the basket, means associated with the table for sliding the partition into the basket above a former layer of cans for receiving the next layer and afterwards withdrawing the same, and a guard plate extending down from the free end of said table and adjacent the basket and curved substantially concentric with the pivot of said table. w

8. In a machine of the kind described, a feed table, supporting means'for a basket adapted to receive cans from the feed table, a temporary partition adapted to be placed in the basket on each layer of cans for receiving the next layer of cans and to be immediately withdrawn after receiving the next row of cans, means for moving and withdrawing said partition plate consisting of a lever under said table and pivoted to the rear side thereof with a handle for operating the same in front of the machine, means slidable on the underside of said table with which said plate is connected, and an accelerating connection between said hand-operated lever and the means with which the plate is connected for the speedy m5 movement of the plate into and out of the basket.

9. In a machine of the kind described, a feed table pivoted at the receiving end and free at its other end so as to be movable vertically, means at the free end for supporting a basket or the like no to be filled with cans, and means for vertically adjusting the free end of said table to accommodate it to certain levels of the discharge, which means consists of vertically movable supporting rods connected with the free end of the table, arms pivoted to the lower end of said rods, a shaft to which the ends of said arms arerigidly secured, weighted means secured to said shaft for counteracting the weight ofithe feed table, and means for giving said shaft returning movement.

10. In a machine of the kind described, a feed 1 table pivoted at the receiving end and free at its other end so as to be moved vertically, means at the free end for supporting a basket'or the likev to be filled with cans, and means for vertically adjusting the free end of said table to accommodate it to certain levels of the discharge, which means consists of vertically movable supporting rods connected with the free end of the table, arms pivoted to the lower ends of said rods, a shaft to which the ends of said arms are rigidly secured, weightedmeans secured to said shaft for counteracting the weight of the feed table, means for giving said shaft returning movement, a hand lever extending up from said shaft secured there- 

